Months had passed since the events that happened in Mugenzu, our little family had moved from Tokyo to a home outside of the city that I came to for holidays. Our little Hotaru was growing, faster than expected, but she was a happy child, which is all I wanted for her. A few days after the Eclipse, I found myself in a music store, browsing their stock. I smiled when I found one of my mothers' old albums, taking it off the shelf to purchase when a voice called from behind me. "Excuse me, are you Umi Shinkai?" Someone wondered, I turned to see a man who looked like he was going to pass out at my mere presence. "Wow! It really is you! I'm such a huge fan, I've got all your CD's!" He stuck a hand to me. "I'm honoured to meet you!" I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, and I was drawn close to a familiar warm body.
"Ah, there you are." I tilted my head up, smiling at Haruka. "Those hydrangeas are lovely. Are they a gift from a fan?" I looked down at the blue bouquet in my hand.
"No, they aren't." I said with a small shake of my head. "I got them for the house. It's been half a year since we started our new life, I wanted to mark the occasion with something special."
"Six months already…" Haruka trailed off as we headed to the car, ignoring the comments from the fangirls around us who decided commenting on our relationship was a good idea. My fingers gently played with the ring on my finger, a silver shaped like the waves to mould around the engagement ring I had worn for millennia, mine and Uranus' commitment to each other. Once we were in the car and on the road, Hauka pointed something out at a stop light. "Look, Umi, formula, diapers, thirty percent off! That's a steal!"
"It would be if we needed them, Ruka." I chuckled. "Hotaru grew out of those things weeks ago." We continued the drive back to the house, Haruka opening the door for me and lead us into the house, swapping into our slippers.
"Papa!" Hotaru cheered as she appeared at the entryway. I smiled up at her, violet eyes lighter than before, I was grateful we were giving her a happy life. "You're finally back!" She raced up to Haruka. "Can we play like we played yesterday?"
"Not now, you've got a piano lesson with Mama." Haruka said.
"Awww!"
"No complaining." Haruka took Hotaru by the shoulders and turned her. "Now let's get changed." I giggled at our daughter's pouty expression as she was guided away. I headed into the kitchen…freezing at the broken plates on the floor.
"Uh…Setsuna?" I wondered.
"Sorry." The green-haired woman apologised. "She was reading a book. She was only by herself for a moment."
"As long as she wasn't hurt." I said as I placed the bouquet of flowers on the table, kneeling down to pick up the larger shards of ceramic. "Hotaru may have been just a little bored. She's going through books faster than we can get them. She recited a large section of Homers' Odyssey from memory the other night before bed."
"Even though we see it every day, the rapid pace of her development never ceases to amaze me."
"It feels like a high-speed dream." Haruka agreed, leaning against the doorframe. I finished throwing away the broken plates when Hotaru entered the room again, tugging on Haruka's pant leg and lifting a dress to her.
"Here. I'm wearing this." She declared before jogging up to me and offering the dress to me. I smiled as I helped her into it, trying a bow in the back.
"When she was still in diapers, she was so good and obedient. But now that she's bigger, she's turned into a little terror."
"Don't call her that." I scolded, turning Hotaru around so I could adjust the rest of her dress. "And there." I smiled. "You're all done sweetheart." Hotaru smiled as she showed off her dress to the others. Hotaru turned to Setsuna who wasn't looking to good.
"Aunty Setsuna?" She wondered. "Aunty Setsuna?" Hotaru set her hand on Setsuna's arm, and she started out of her trance. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine." Setsuna agreed, setting a hand on Hotaru's head. "Didn't mean to scare you." Hotaru smiled and jogged back up to me, throwing her arms around my legs. I smiled down at her, running my fingers through her hair. Even though life has changed since that Solar Eclipse, I wouldn't change anything for the world.